I woke up, alone. My roommates were no longer in their beds, which were neatly made. I got up with a start. Where were they? I looked over at my alarm clock on my night stand. It was 4 in the morning. My subconscious must have felt something odd; I was a spy after all. I got out of bed and checked quickly checked outside the halls. They weren't there. I went back inside the room that was supposed to be occupied by three other girls. I checked our wardrobe's to see if anything was missing. Each one of my best friends had clothes missing. With horror, I realized their backpacks were gone too.
Despite the hour, I ran down the grand stairs to the office that belonged to my mother, the headmistress. I knocked, but no one answered, so I knocked more persistently. My tired mother finally opened the door, wearing one of my dad's old shirts as a pyjama.
"Mom!" I attempted to whisper, but it came out as more of a shout. "Is there a CoveOps mission I was left out of?" I asked, knowing whatever was happening, was a lot worse than a CoveOps mission. She just looked at me, confused, and that confirmed my biggest fears.
"Bex, Liz, and Macey are gone!" I blurted. I expected her to panic like I was, but I forgot that she was one of the best Agents I'd ever met. Her tone remained calm.
"Cammie, come in." I walked into her office, thousands of questions running through my head (Okay, maybe not thousands, but there were a lot of questions). "What's going on?" I demanded, "Where are they?"
She looked at me, and if I hadn't been training to be a spy for years, I probably wouldn't have seen the look of guilt that came onto her face that disappeared almost as soon as it got there.
"Cammie, there's something that you need to know," I watched her intently, eager to find out more. "21 days ago, your roommates confronted me." What did she mean… my heart started to race, "They went in search for the Circle. They went to find answers." My heart started to race even faster, if that was possible. My best friends in the whole world were after the most dangerous ancient terrorist organization in history? And worst of all, my mom allowed it? I don't know if it was the spy in her, or the mother in her, but my mom cradled my face between her hands, sensing my panic.
"They didn't want you to know. They knew you would insist on going with them. They know you so well Cammie. They're doing this for you. So you can be safe again," I was about to complain, but my mother began to speak before I could start, "And don't worry about their safety, I sent Abby and Townsend with them." I was enraged at myself, as a best friend, and also a spy. Only now did I realise their weird behavior during the past weeks. I should've notice, I should've stopped them!
"How could you let them go?" I finally shouted, "Why would you let them go?" My anger turned into despair, I couldn't lose the people most important in my life. My mother looked at me with eyes I couldn't read.
"Cammie, your friends are very good. So is your aunt, and so is Agent Townsend. They are doing this for you, and I know that this can keep you safe for now, even if it is temporarily. They will go and find answers while you stay safe within the walls of this school. I've given them three weeks to come back," She smiled, and continued, "Pretend it's just another CoveOps assignment." Her smile then became sad. Joe Solomon, my CoveOps teacher, the best spy I have ever met, and the best teacher I ever had, was in a coma.
I was tired. It was early. I decided the best thing I could do for now to try and go back to sleep. My mom hugged me, and I made my way back to my room. My empty room. When I got upstairs, the atmosphere was different. I crept into bed and pulled my blankets up to my chin. I thought I would never fall asleep, but eventually drowsiness overcame me. I had no dreams.